Government Coal Wharf, Alexandria, Virginia

Andrew Joseph Russell

1863–65 · Albumen silver print from glass negative · Photographs

Long before the war, Alexandria, Virginia, served as an important coal depot for the nation’s capital. This contemplative view from the shore offers a glimpse of the side-wheeler South America and, to the right, a smaller steam vessel Titan. Russell placed two men in the foreground whose attention, like the photographer’s, seems focused on the subtle but hard-won pleasures of this marine scene.

Artist

Andrew Joseph Russell

Date

1863–65

Medium

Albumen silver print from glass negative

Department

Photographs

Credit line

Purchase, Vital Projects Fund Inc. Gift, through Joyce and Robert Menschel, 2019